The Growing Black Market Inside New Mexico’s Cannabis Industry

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It has been 29 months since New Mexico opened legal recreational cannabis sales and since then, the state has recorded more than $1 billion in adult-use and medical sales. While state leaders have celebrated the “billion dollar industry” as a “milestone” for New Mexico, there’s growing concern about the regulatory apparatus the state has tasked with monitoring thousands of licensed cannabis facilities.

In a recent investigation , KRQE News 13’s Larry Barker exposed how New Mexico’s Cannabis Control Division has only inspected roughly half of the more than 3,000 licensed facilities across. Barker’s investigation also revealed how some of those licensees are blatantly violating the state’s cannabis rules and regulations.

How does this impact the state’s economy? What about health and safety concerns? Those questions and more are addressed in the full interview above.

This week on KRQE’s New Mexico News Insiders, Investigative Reporter Larry Barker sits down with Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart to discuss the results of his cannabis industry investigation. Leader of the largest licensed cannabis operator in the state, Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez also joins the conversation to talk about the impact the lack of regulation is having on New Mexico and the state’s cannabis industry.

To view Larry Barker’s full investigation, titled “The New Mexico cannabis cowboys: Modern-day Desperados,” click this link.

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Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Insiders every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Podbean among others.

You can now watch our podcasts in video form both on-air or online! Tune in to an abbreviated version of the New Mexico News Insiders podcast on broadcast television every Wednesday at 10:35 p.m. on Fox New Mexico. Full video episodes are posted on KRQE.com or on KRQE’s YouTube page at youtube.com/krqenews13 .

Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term “KRQE” or “New Mexico News Insiders” (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.